Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1953 June 23 - twelve cars derail near Brent, CNR Beachburg subdivision

From the Ottawa Journal Wednesday 24 June 1953 Clear CNR Line After Derailment Near Brent PEMBROKE. June 24 (Staff) The main CNR Transcontinental line was cleared early this morning of a dozen overturned freight cars derailed near Brent yesterday noon.  Brent is 70 miles west of here.. Cause of the derailment of the fast freight has not yet been determined. None of the five-man crew was injured in the wreck. Four of them were Ottawa residents and one was from Pembroke. The Ottawa men were, Ronald J. McDonell, 268 Main street engineer; Reg Worby. 536 Booth street, brakeman; Roy Brown, 77 Grove avenue, brakeman and Edgar Jowsey, 238 Russell. The conductor Jack McKenzie is from Pembroke. Train schedules were not disrupted bv the derailment. Eleven of the 12 cars that went off the track were fully loaded. They were carrying grain, lumber and pitch.  Most of the cargo was recovered intact. From the Ottawa Citizen 24 June 1953 Derailment Track Block Now Cleared By Staff Reporter PEMBROKE The tracks of the CNR transcontinental line near Brent, 70 miles west of here, where 12 freight cars were derailed yesterday noon, have now been cleared, according to CNR officials. Members of the crew were four Ottawa residents, Ronald J. McDonell, 268 Main Street, Edgar Jowsey, 238 Russell Street, fireman, and Conductor Jack McKenzie of Pembroke. No one was injured. Estimates of the damage are still not available. Officials said the cargo made up of grain, lumber and pitch would be recovered if the cars were not broken.

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Updated 8 April 2019